Viswa Vanapalli
The dreams of a 30-year-old Ukrainian immigrant seemed to have come true after she fell in love and had a child. But that ended in torture and a blood-spattered crime scene. Iana Kasian’s particularly vicious murder serves as the subject of CBS’ ’48 Hours: Hollywood Horror Story.’ The episode delves into the seemingly happy life of Iana with her partner and the father of their child, Blake Leibel. Iana had given birth to Diana just weeks before she lost her life, and with the murder, Diana’s life was forever altered. So, if you’re wondering what happened to the baby in the aftermath of the case, here’s what we know.
What Happened to Iana Kasian’s Baby Daughter?
After Iana moved to the United States from Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2014, she met Blake Leibel, a screenwriter and a graphic novelist from an influential Canadian family. They lived in an apartment in West Hollywood, California. Soon after Blake separated from his wife, Iana became pregnant with his child. She gave birth to Diana on May 3, 2016. She was Iana’s first child, and she was elated to become a mother finally.
Iana’s mother, Olga Kasian, flew down to the United States in 2016 to help Iana take care of Diana. After Blake was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on May 20, 2016, Iana and her daughter moved out of their home and started living with Olga in an apartment in Los Angeles, California. On May 23, Iana and Olga went out shopping for a stroller for the baby, and that was the last time Olga ever saw her daughter alive. After receiving a text from Blake on that day, Iana left Diana with Olga and met Blake.
A worried Olga, who was still caring for Diana, called the police on May 25 after she couldn’t get a hold of her daughter. When the authorities went to Blake’s apartment, he insisted that Iana was alright. Olga, who could only speak Russian, pleaded for help yet again the next day. This time, the police forced their way into the apartment and found Blake had barricaded himself in the master bedroom. What the authorities saw inside was a bloody and brutal crime scene.
Iana was found naked on the bed. She had been tortured for hours before her scalp was taken off. Parts of her face were ripped off, and she had extensive bruising. The cause of death was exsanguination and head trauma. In a terrible twist of fate, Diana was orphaned within weeks of being born. The prosecution argued that Blake was jealous of the attention Diana received from Iana. After the murder, Iana was cared for by Olga. In June 2018, Blake was convicted of murdering Iana and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Where is Iana Kasian’s Baby Daughter Now?
Olga was appointed as Diana’s guardian after Iana’s death. An angry Olga didn’t mince words at Blake’s sentencing. She said, “The life of this little angel began with the fact that her father massacred her mother.” Diana was moved to Ukraine to live with Olga and Iana’s sister. Now, the little girl would be about five years old. In 2019, a judge awarded over $40 million to Iana’s family as part of a wrongful death suit.
Read More: Where is Blake Leibel Now?
